Monday, November 14, 2011

SEA GAMES: Injury Not A Factor For Tan To Win Gold In Women's Hammer Throw

PALEMBANG, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Despite being in pain due to a spinal injury, Tan Song Hwa still managed to display an excellence performance to win the gold medal in the women's hammer throw event in the 26th SEA Games at the Jakabaring Stadium here Saturday.

She threw a distance of 55.15 metres to retain her title and the gold medal she bagged at the Laos SEA Games two years ago.

Prior to this, Tan, who has been suffering from the injurys over the past two weeks, had refused to let all her nine months of training to go in vain by withdrawing from the competition.

"I felt so relieved to get the gold medal. At least we now have one gold medal from the athletics events," she told the Malaysian press.

Indonesian athlete Inggriana Rose Herfinda, who threw a distance of 51.95m, bagged the silver medal while Philippine's Loralie Sermona had to settle for the bronze after recording 49.69m.

The gold medal from Tan really made the day special for Malaysia's athletics squad after women's long jump athlete Fatimahtul Zahrah Awang only managed to finish seventh in the event.

In the men's and women's 100m sprints, Indonesian sprinters Franklin Ramses Burumi and Unani Anaelis Serafi were crowned Southeast Asia's King and Queen of Sprinters respectively.

Malaysia's men sprinters Mohd Noor Imran Abdul Hadi and Ambrose Jilon, however, only managed to finish sixth and eighth while women sprinters Nurul Sarah Abdul Kadir and Nur Hafiszah Jamaludin had to settle for fifth and eighth place.

In the women's 3000m steeplechase, Melinder Kaur, had to be satisfied with finishing fourth while in the men's event of the same, J.Karthik and Ahmad Lutfi Hamizan were among the last to finish.

Meanwhile, the shot-put event which was to be contested by Adi Alifuddin Hussin, was postponed to tomorrow due to a heavy downpour.